ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bore — to tire
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. game — a match
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wind — moving air
  22. game — wild animals
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bore — to drill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com